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Anna's Markets Recap

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Saturday, 5:18 AM

April 19, 2025

Good morning news friend! Here is a quick recap of what happened in the markets this week. 📰🌟

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into this week’s market action—including how trade tensions, inflation data, and earnings shaped the moves—click here for a clear breakdown of which stocks jumped, which ones sank, and what it all means for your portfolio.

Economic & Market Overview

Markets reversed early optimism and ended the week lower. The S&P 500 dropped 1.5%, the Dow fell 2.7%, and the Nasdaq lost 2.6%.

A brief rally was sparked by temporary U.S. tariff exemptions for smartphones and chips, but investor sentiment quickly deteriorated amid lingering U.S.-China trade tensions, unclear tariff policy, and weak corporate earnings.

Tariffs remain steep—145% on Chinese imports and 125% retaliatory tariffs from China—creating widespread uncertainty. S&P Global downgraded its 2025 global GDP forecast from 2.5% to 2.2%.

Economic data was mixed: March retail sales beat expectations (+1.4%), but the Philly Fed Index plunged to -26.4. Consumer inflation moderated (CPI at 2.4%), but inflation expectations jumped to 6.7%, the highest since 1981.

Gold surged 3.1% to $3,341/oz, with investors flocking to safe-haven assets as Treasury yields declined to 4.29%.

Technology & Growth

Tech stocks swung sharply. Apple jumped 7.5% intraday Monday after smartphones were exempted from tariffs—only to end the week down 3.1% as reports suggested “special tariffs” were still planned. Nvidia announced a $500B U.S. AI infrastructure plan but fell 6% amid fears of export restrictions and slowing AI demand.

Netflix beat earnings and jumped post-market, while Google dropped 1.5% after a judge ruled it illegally monopolized ad tech. Meta fell 2% as Zuckerberg testified in an FTC antitrust trial.

Tesla dropped 4.35% after halting parts imports for its Cybercab due to tariffs, risking delays to its production timeline.

Financial Institutions

Financials held up well. Bank of America rose 4.56% after beating earnings expectations with $27.4B in Q1 revenue and strong trading and consumer banking performance.

JPMorgan posted $14.6B in net income but cited cautious investment banking activity.

Berkshire Hathaway, up slightly on the week, continued to attract investors seeking safety amid its $300B cash stockpile.

Consumer Staples & Healthcare

The healthcare sector diverged sharply. Eli Lilly soared 14.3% after a successful trial of its oral GLP-1 diabetes drug.

Meanwhile, UnitedHealth plunged 22.4% after slashing 2025 earnings guidance due to high medical utilization.

Johnson & Johnson beat earnings and raised its dividend for the 63rd straight year.

Consumer staples saw muted movement; Costco raised its dividend 12%, but Walmart and P&G faced tariff headwinds.

Energy & Industrial

Energy rebounded: Exxon Mobil rose 3.66% as oil prices recovered, with WTI crude ending at $64.45/barrel. H

ome Depot was flat despite spring promotions, weighed down by cautious housing data and affordability concerns.

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into this week’s market action—including how trade tensions, inflation data, and earnings shaped the moves—click here for a clear breakdown of which stocks jumped, which ones sank, and what it all means for your portfolio.

Did you know we also write in-depth deep dives? They are long, packed with insights, and have received rave reviews. If you’re up for a detailed, action-packed read, check them out:

• The End of the Easy-Money Era

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• The Great Retirement Crisis

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️